Stackable knock-down box

Abstract

A stackable knock down box is provided for the bulk transportation and storage of fresh produce such as fruit. The box comprises a base pallet, and six side wall panels which are hinged together to define a composite side wall enclosure which can be folded into a stack. A number of drop-away base clip arrangements are provided for releasably holding the composite side wall enclosure to the base pallet in both its erected and folded conditions. The box can be stacked in both the erected and folded conditions, and includes a number of panel aligning inserts located at the upper edge corners of the side walls. Each panel aligning insert is formed with an angled contact face which slopes downwardly and outwardly. A number of complemental panel aligning formations are formed within pedestals on the pallet, and have an angled contact face which slopes upwardly and inwardly. As a result, inter-engagement of the contact faces results in the upper edges of the side walls being urged inwardly into inter-engagement with the complemental panel aligning formations.

I claim:  
     
       1. A stackable knock down box comprising a base including a base panel supported on a plurality of pedestals, a plurality of side wall panels, hinge means connecting the side wall panels together to define a composite side wall enclosure, the hinge means being adapted to enable the side wall panels to be folded into a stack, and a plurality of base clip arrangements for releasably holding the composite side wall enclosure to the base in both its erected and folded conditions, the knock down box being stackable in both the erected and folded conditions, and including upper panel auto-alignment and box support means provided along the operatively top edges of the side wall panels, and complemental lower panel auto-alignment means provided on the base, with the upper panel auto-alignment and box support means of a subjacent box being arranged to interengage with and to nest within the lower panel auto-alignment means of a superjacent box when the erected boxes are stacked on top of one another, wherein the upper panel auto-alignment and box support means comprises a plurality of panel converging formations, each formation being formed with a contact face which slopes downwardly and outwardly, and being located towards the outer corners of the composite side wall, and the lower panel auto-alignment means includes complemental corner stabilizing recesses on the pedestals, each of the recesses comprising corresponding overhanging corner contact faces which slope upwardly and inwardly and adjoin recessed outwardly facing perpendicular corner faces such that interengagement of the converging formations and the corner stabilizing recesses results in the upper edge corners of the side walls of an underlying box being converged inwardly into firm nesting and aligned interengagement with the complemental corner stabilizing recesses on the pedestals of an overlying box, wherein the plurality of panel converging formations including reinforcing inserts defining the downwardly and outwardly angled contact faces, and the corner-stabilizing recesses include corresponding reinforcing inserts defining the overhanging corner contact face. 
     
     
       2. A stackable knock down box according to claim  1  in which mounting means are provided for holding the base clips loosely and hingedly captive on the base when the clips are not engaged with the side walls in either of the erected or folded conditions, the base clips comprising drop-away substantially L-shaped sprung clips which each have a lower pivoting end held captive within a clip-retaining assembly in the base panel and an upper end terminating in an inwardly facing tang which is releasably engageable with horizontal locating slots formed towards the lower edges of the side wall panels, the clip retaining assembly comprising a slot extending into the base panel, and a retaining plate at least partly surrounding the slot and mounted to the base panel, the retaining plate including a retaining tang extending into the slot, and the pivoting end of the base clip having an outwardly scrolled formation which is arranged to ride over an innermost edge of the tang to be held loosely captive thereby within the slot. 
     
     
       3. A stackable knock down box according to claim  1  in which outer corner faces of the pedestals carry corner reinforcing brackets which are formed with upper inwardly directed tangs constituting base clip arrangements which are engageable with horizontal locating slots formed towards the lower corner edges of the side wall panels. 
     
     
       4. A stackable knock down box according to claim  3  which the brackets are formed with lower upwardly and inwardly directed flanges which extend into the corner recesses and constitute the corresponding reinforcing inserts. 
     
     
       5. A stackable knock down box according to claim  1  in which the knock down box is a two part box, wherein the plurality of base clip arrangements include panel connecting components and side wall clip receiving slots, and the panel connecting components remain attached to the base when the components are not engaged with the clip receiving slots of the side walls in either of the erected or folded conditions. 
     
     
       6. A stackable knock down box according to claim  1  in which locating means are provided on the base for locating the stacked composite side wall. 
     
     
       7. A stackable knock down box according to claim  1  in which overhanging strike plates are fitted to at least one of the side wall panels for allowing the inwardly facing tangs of the L-shaped spring clips to ride up and over the outer surfaces of the strike plates to clamp the composite side wall to the base when in the folded condition. 
     
     
       8. A stackable knock down box according to claim  1  which includes within a subjacent an intermediate foldable shelf assembly providing horizontal partitioning for the box. 
     
     
       9. A stackable knock down box according to claim  1  in which the pedestals are fitted with skid planks which are arranged to nest completely within a subjacent box. 
     
     
       10. A stackable knock down box according to claim  7  which the strike plates are L-shaped, each strike plate having a free leg arranged to cover an irregular stacked profile of the side edges of the composite side wall and a fixed leg mounted to the side wall panel.